The present invention relates to multiple-product merchandising machines and more particularly to such machines which dispense many different kinds and sizes of products from a cylindrical drum mounted within a cabinet and configured to dispense the desired product to a customer upon the insertion in the machine of adequate currency or the establishment of adequate credit. Such a machine is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,051, owned by the same assignee as the present invention.
Some existing multiple-product merchandising machines of the type to which the present invention relates are generally configured to show to a potential customer as much of the available product as possible without rotation of the drum. This is accomplished in some cases by utilizing transparent shelves and/or walls to separate the shelves into compartments which hold individual products so that only a single product is accessible to a customer at one time. The products are accessible through access doors which are generally locked until adequate currency is inserted to allow the customer to open a door and access only the compartment adjacent it. Generally, the access doors are transparent to allow viewing of the product on the shelves and also an additional viewing area is sometimes provided to enlarge the total number of products that can be seen at one time.
Recently it has become desirable to vend, from all types of vending machines, larger bottles, such as 16 and 20 ounce bottles, because of consumer demand for larger quantities of soda and water in a single bottle. Because of the physical size limitations on drum type vending machines, both internally and externally, it is difficult to increase the size of the pie-shaped compartments in these types of vending machines such that would permit them to hold the, usually longer, larger volume bottles which do not fit into many of the existing drum-type vending machines. The diameter of the drum cannot be increased significantly because it would require a larger size cabinet which is not practical for moving through doorways or desirable in the additional floor space it would occupy. Furthermore, the substantial cost involved in the redesign and tooling in such a solution would be prohibitive. Most such drum-type machines have a hollow center column through which cooling air is distributed. This column diameter could theoretically be reduced and the compartment size correspondingly increased to possibly accommodate the larger bottles, but this would also be a substantial redesign of the shelves and other components making this solution likewise cost prohibitive.
The present invention overcomes the above-described difficulties and disadvantages associated with prior art devices by providing a modification to current designs of drum-type vending machines that will accommodate larger bottles with relatively minor changes and little additional cost.
This is accomplished by the provision of a multiple-product merchandising machine of the drum-type which has a plurality of annular shelves arranged around and fixed to a center column for rotation therewith and which shelves are divided into a plurality of compartments by radially extending walls, the center column having walls extending between the shelves in which holes are provided which allow the necked-down portion and cap of a bottle to pass through the center column wall into the interior of the column while the main body of the bottle is contained within a compartment.
Advantages of the present invention are further accomplished by the provision of a multiple-product merchandising machines comprising: a cabinet; a cylindrical merchandise carrying drum mounted within the cabinet for rotation about its central longitudinal axis disposed vertically within the cabinet and having a plurality of annular product supporting shelves at spaced intervals along the drum, concentric with the axis of the drum, a plurality vertical walls extending between adjacent shelves and together with the shelves defining a plurality of individual product compartments, a central column extending the height of the drum and having wall portions adjacent each product compartment with at least one hole defined in at least some of the wall portions, the holes so positioned and arranged that a necked-down portion of a bottle supporting a cap can be inserted into each hole with the remainder of the bottle being disposed within the confines of an associated product compartment; a plurality of access doors in the cabinet for allowing access to the shelves for removal of merchandise therefrom; and a vend control system associated with the access doors for allowing the doors to be opened upon a customer establishing a proper amount of credit in the vend control system.
Further advantages of the present invention are obtained by such a machine wherein the at least one hole is vertically positioned within an associated compartment such that the neck of a bottle inserted in the hole engages a lower portion of the hole and rests on the wall and on a bottom edge of the bottle such that the bottle is disposed at an angle sloped downwardly toward an outer edge of the compartment.
Yet further advantages are obtained by such a machine wherein the hole is so positioned and arranged that the cap of a bottle disposed in the at least one hole engages a rear side of a wall portion so as to prevent outward movement of the bottle until it is lifted by a customer to be removed from the compartment.
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.